Spawn of Satan

Learning humility from the electoral process

Philippians 2:5-11

Brothers and sisters: Have among yourselves the same attitude  that is also yours in Christ Jesus, Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and, found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

             Today is Election Day in the United States.  Today, America, the great defender of democracy, will show the world why the democratic process is so great; why Abraham Lincoln said: “Government of the people, by the people, and for the people should not perish from this earth.”  But do you know why I personally love “Election Day”?  Because tomorrow we will see no more political ads on T.V., especially the negative ads that make the other candidate look like the “Spawn of Satan.”  Whenever I see those ads I’m repulsed, not only by the gross caricature of the candidate, but also by the candidate who allowed it, and also by how low our democratic process has sunk for someone to get elected.  I always wonder: do such ads help you get elected?  Don’t they just make BOTH candidates look like the Spawn of Satan?  Why should I vote for either candidate?  I read an essay once that argued that our current electoral process is designed specifically to root out the best and the brightest, and leave only those whom the political machine can control.  Look at it this way: could a truly Christian candidate, who refused to sling mud on the other candidate, ever get elected?  I wonder.

             In the first reading today, we see one quality of any Christian, especially one who wants to be a role-model for the whole community, namely, humility.  Philippians chapter 2 is the great “hymn of humility,” and describes Jesus by saying, “he humbled himself and took the form of a slave,” but then “God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him a name above any other name.”  In other words, a real Christian (who imitates Christ) doesn’t brag about himself or herself, and certainly refrains from belittling another person.  Rather, he or she let’s God lift them high.  You see, when you call another person the “Spawn of Satan,” you’ve only managed to sink into the same mud your slinging at the other person.  As we said in grade school, “It takes one to know one.”

             If there’s only one lesson this political season should teach us, it’s that slinging mud only makes both candidates filthy.  Or, as Gandhi eloquently said: “An eye for an eye only makes the whole world blind.”  But we don’t have to run for president of the United States to sling mud.  We do that every day in our conversations: when we criticize and complain about our co-workers, our boss, our in-laws, our spouses, and maybe even our priests!  When we see how destructive and just plain dumb political ads are, we should be resolved not to do likewise ourselves.  Let us stop our own mud-slinging campaigns against each other.  Rather, let us humble ourselves, and one day, maybe God will greatly exalt us.

            Praised be Jesus Christ!